It started with my older brothers’ comics. A few Aquaman, but mostly stuff like G.I. Joe and Punisher and I remember one cover that had Nick Fury on it, but I can’t recall if it was a S.H.I.E.L.D. comic or Howling Commandos or what. Those ones never appealed to 7-year-old me, but Aquaman … oh my God, Aquaman … with his pretty blonde hair on that cover, so colorful and happy looking—that definitely drew me in. I would sit and read those comics in the attic when my brothers weren’t home so they didn’t know I was touching them. And while Aquaman himself was amazing, I eventually met Mera and couldn’t believe how beautiful she was and how fierce. That is my earliest memory of comics, and when I think about it I still get that same feeling I had when I read them so long ago. That warm, incredible feeling that something like this could exist—characters like that could exist. I wish my brothers still had those issues, but none of us have been able to find them for years, and I’m lost as to what happened to them.

I still have my hands on that Ren & Stimpy, which was the first comic I ever consciously chose for myself, picked up off the rack at the comics shop during a trip with my brothers. Calvin & Hobbes came after, a collection that my sister had and encouraged me to read again and again. Most of the jokes and brilliance of that book were quite far over my head at the time, but it was still enjoyable and further fueled the addiction. I just recently asked my sister if I could have that well-loved copy of Calvin, but was met with a resounding no. (In fact, I think the exact words were “HECK NO, I love that book.”)

As my siblings got older, spent more time being social, and eventually outgrew comics, my access to the good stuff took a big hit. It wasn’t until my preteen years when I was on a trip with my parents and happened to walk into a bookstore that—shock!—sold comics, that my love for them was reignited. They had collections of re-printed arcs, and I remember seeing an X-Men cover with Savage Land Rogue on it. That was the moment it was all over. The deed was done, the cement block of love walloped me on the head, and I was finished. I saw that issue and thought I MUST HAVE THIS.

And I did have it.

And it was like a drug.

I was already a huge Rogue fan, having grown up watching the X-Men animated series, so realizing that the story was still going and that I could, in fact, get more of it was life-changing. I continue to collect X-Men to this day. And while there’s more to my particular history of comics—working in a comic shop, branching out to genres outside of superhero, even sacrificing comics for a time—the one constant has been that feeling I always get when I pick up a book that speaks to me. It’s a feeling that no other medium can replicate. Like going home.

The #fourcomics trend from yesterday gave me that feeling a hundred times over.

Like this:

Did you see it? Tell me you watched it, because if you didn’t, it’s still saved on my DVR, and we can watch it together and have popcorn and fangirl(boy?) out.

I’m talking about the magnificence that is AGENT CARTER.

Good God. That premiere was everything I was hoping for and beyond. You know when a show/movie/book is so good and really hits you, and you wake up the next morning still thinking about it? That was my reaction to this. Suddenly I am looking forward to Tuesday night television.

That Ant-Man preview, on the other hand … not so much. I’ve been using the term “meh” a lot lately, but when things are so meh that they evoke no other response in you, you have no choice but to MEH all over the place. And Ant-Man was legit meeehhhh. Is this movie supposed to be serious and grim? That’s the impression I got from the teaser trailer (also, side note, what the hell is a “teaser trailer,” anyway? How is it any different from a standard trailer? Film people, help me out). And if it IS supposed to be serious and grim, with the occasional bit of humor, and you cast a guy like Paul Rudd as the lead, then … uh … you’re doing it wrong. I wasn’t particularly inclined to see this movie anyway, and the teaser did not do its job to change that.

I’ve spent the last week taking it easy during the holidays and doing my best to catch up on my reading stack. In the past few days, I have brought myself up to speed on a few titles and some 40 issues of:

Justice League – Meh. Just … meh. I wish I could offer something more on this title, but it’s leaving me bored. Might be time to drop it from my pull list soon, but I’ll finish the current arc first.

Gotham Academy – I hate to say this because I was hoping for so much more, but the writing on this title has let me down. It’s not BAD—it’s just … a little slow? The pacing is dragging for me. And it’s perfectly reasonable that many others would love the type of story they’re telling in Gotham Academy, but for me personally, it’s not hitting. I anticipated giving the book at least the first full arc to grab me, but I think I already know that it’s not going to fit. And that’s really a shame, because I LOVE the artwork on this book. Karl Kerschl’s style is so clean and so lively, and even more exciting when you throw on Geyser and Dave McCaig’s incredible colors—I wanted so badly to fall in love with this book. But I’m just … not.

Hawkeye – Umm … so, this title is coming back, right? Because I need this title. This title has to exist.

Phil Noto’s variant cover for the February issue of Inhuman.

Black Widow – Natasha/X-23 team-up? Yes, please. More, please. Also, my goodness, I cannot explain my love for Phil Noto in any sufficient way for others to fathom. He is just … I can’t. I love his work so much, it’s unlike anything else. I can’t compare him to anyone. And Marvel just announced that they’re releasing a month’s worth of Phil Noto variant covers in February, which means I’m trouble and will be buying way more titles that month than I need to be….

Thor – LOVE. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. Three issues in and I am OBSESSED with this book. Everything about it is solid; the writing is spectacular, the artwork is a delight, the colors are captivating. There is nothing more I could possibly want from this, and I’m so excited for the next issue.

Superman/Wonder Woman – This title was actually fairly decent under Charles Soule—it was better than what I was expecting, and Tony Daniel’s art was crisp and lovely. But Tomasi’s first issue as of #13 made this book take a giant nose-dive for me, and Mahnke’s artwork is just not my cup of tea. Wonder Woman’s characterization continues to suffer greatly since the New 52—I don’t know who that person is, but she’s not my Wonder Woman. But that in itself is a topic for a whole other discussion.

Sensation Comics – This book. This book is … just about the only thing keeping my DC fandom afloat at this point. If post-New 52 Wonder Woman is wrong, then Sensation Comics Wonder Woman is everything RIGHT and everything she should be. Reading this title is this massive dose of nostalgia, which is kind of weird, right? Because how can something brand new with different, alternative takes on a character make you feel nostalgic toward said character? It does, so very much. I’m not sure I’d do it proper credit in trying to explain, except to say that it’s very clear each writer and artist gets Wonder Woman. They get her and they love her, and that comes through so obviously in every story—which, I’m sad to say, is not the case in her actual title or in pretty much any other DC book she’s currently in. It’s a tragic state of affairs. But if, like me, you want the Wonder Woman you loved before the New 52 destroyed everything she was and everything she stood for, then pick up Sensation Comics. You won’t regret it.

Anyway–happy 2015, all. While I did not partake in the wild celebrating last night, I DID stay up and write this post on CBR. Give it a read and let me know what you think. It includes some stories from this past Boston Comic Con, including meeting Amanda Conner and poking Greg Capullo’s brawny bicep.

Like this:

It is really, really difficult to get back into the routine of making posts when you haven’t actually made a post in … forever. That said, I have been asked/harassed/lamented at repeatedly lately to post something—anything—so I’m just going to talk with the hope that something semi-worth reading comes out. So, here’s what’s been going on with me.

I’ve been buying a number of OGNs and trades lately. My most recent purchases:

Of these three, I first finished Level Up, which was completely wonderful and I can’t recommend highly enough. This is the only work of Gene Luen Yang’s that I’ve read so far; I’m told I need to get American Born Chinese. Excited to read the other two books in the photo soon.

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet Liz and Randy from How i Made the World. They are, of course, super nice and a pleasure to talk to. As you can see, I also managed to snag a copy of Becky Cloonan’s gorgeous and haunting By Chance or Providence while I was at the shop for the signing. Liz and Randy have been doing a few of them around New England, but if you haven’t had a chance to meet them and/or pick up their great comic book, they’ll be at Boston Comic Con this coming weekend. I will also be there roaming the floor and waiting in lines—send me a message if you’re going and want to say hello.

There’s a ton of other stuff I want to rant talk about—my excitement over the upcoming new Thor book, Gal Gadot in the Wonder Woman costume, Dan Slott’s hideous decimation of Black Cat in Amazing Spider-Man—but I just wanted to post a quickie for now. Perhaps those things will be topics for later. We’ll see whether or not I can get back into the swing of this.

So, lastly, my battle against my pile of floppy comics continues; I made a post on CBR about it last week. Go read that, too. (Please?)